Wie Diktatoren stürzen

All dictators and autocrats eventually fall. This book explains why and how – and what we can learn from it.

Democracies are under pressure everywhere in the world, and autocracies and dictatorships are emerging all around. Rulers present themselves as tough men who are strong and invincible. But they all fail. For autocratic regimes have systemic flaws – they cannot function in the long term.

Sometimes it is members of the inner circle of power, sometimes it is the military, sometimes the masses rise up because they have had enough of corruption and poor decisions, and sometimes it is opposition figures planning a coup from exile. Tyrants always have more enemies than friends – and the end of their rule is often dramatic: exile, imprisonment, death. How they fall has significant implications for the course of history.

In this brilliantly written book, Marcel Dirsus reveals the factors that lead to the end of autocratic rule. His research is based, among other things, on conversations with leaders of revolutions, rebels, and soldiers from around the world. He delves into the heart of violence and meticulously describes the crucial moments when tyrants lose power. Using examples from the present and history, he develops a system that allows for an understanding of the mechanisms of power.